Endless Seasons
by Seigetsu Ren
Summary: The Shikon is completed, many lives have moved on, but one immortal miko is still waiting under the blazing maples for her hanyou to return. InuKik


Motoko Aoyama: I was reading some Inuyasha fanfiction when all of a sudden this idea came to me so I'm here writing my first one-shot about Kikyou! Well, I tried to present the characters the way they are in the anime and manga, not the way some angry fans present them, so hopefully whether or not you are a Kikyou fan, you would still enjoy this little piece of writing dedicated to the misunderstood miko. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Inuyasha! I'm not rich and I absolutely suck at drawing, so no way can I own such a wonderful anime that belongs to the extremely talented Takahashi-sama!

**Endless Seasons**

Countless days I have sat and waited, watching the sun rise and set as night vanished and returned in an endless cycle. The sakura bloomed and wilted, falling to the ground with the gentle breeze of spring. Then came the bright days of summer, when the trees are lush green as never before, the water running clear and cool down the silent mountains. Leaves soon turned yellow, orange and finally red, drifting in the autumn winds. At last the year ends with the dark, cold winter when the grounds are covered in a thick, white blanket of snow. Seasons come and go as I worked day after day, mending the wounds of the injured, feeding medicine to the sick, teaching the children how to survive in this harsh world, and then dig graves in the darkness of the night for those who have fallen. What remained of my day I spent in the hut I had began to call home, for what little comfort it held. I would watch the fire glow in the moonlight, consuming the firewood I had gathered earlier until they turned to mere ambers. That beautiful red color was the only comfort I could find, for it reminded me of your cloak, the very cloak I had felt caressing my parched face whenever we embraced.

It had been so long since we embraced. So long since I had seen you.

Each night when all lay still and tranquil, safe for the few nightingales fluttering their wings as they soared above the shady canopies, I would think about you. Long ago, so long that I had lost count, I was the miko of the Shikon no Tama, and you were the hanyou after it. I would pin you to the tree and draw the last arrow, but our resemblance would pluck at my soul, my loneliness rushed strongly in my veins, and my mind became confused at whether or not to let the arrow fly. As my hands trembled at making the decision, I would see your eyes, the glowing golden orbs, so strong on the outside yet betraying a deeper sorrow in your heart. We were alike. You, a hanyou, were despised by human and youkai alike. Me, a miko, was a human yet could not live the life of one. We didn't belong in this strange world where everything seemed to have its place. No matter how hard we tried, we could not fit into this puzzle of life, leaving us to struggle in the process of trying to create a world of our own.

I would lower the arrow, always.

Time after time this had happened, and soon we realized that we had found our place. The fields unknown to everyone but us, the fields that overlooked the lake that reflected the images of red maples. That was where we found ourselves, and made our wishes, learning to trust our futures in the hands of each other. You, the hanyou, would become a human with the Shikon no Tama, and I, the miko protecting it, would become a woman when the jewel vanishes with your pure wish. That was the life we had wanted, we had longed for, but that perfect life never came.

The only arrow I had let to fly, pinning you to the fateful goshinboku while my soul stopped, following you in death.

The seasons come and go. Fifty years had passed since. You and I were both revived to remember the pain of betrayal once more. As you soon found friends, who became your family, I had wandered this earth unable to move forward for I was the dead, and the dead are mere living memories, their souls fastened to the past and only the past. I found out the truth, but I still hated you, as much as I loved you. This was how I died, and this was how I remained when I became the undead, fastened to the past, the pain of betrayal. It hurted more when I saw you with my reincarnation, saw her taking my place in your heart, and I started to despise you even more. I had tried to kill you, so that you would come with me and stay with me forever, a selfish, but human desire.

And yet you have never forgotten me, still by my side from time to time, trying to protect what remained of me, just bones and ashes of my former self.

Then that day came, the day that replays itself in my mind for many more seasons to come. The jewel was completed, clasped in Naraku's hand, my reincarnation and I clutching the same bow, drawing the same arrow. We shot at the Shikon no Tama, but Naraku was too quick for us. He leapt in the air and shot his tentacles at us, Kagome escaped but my weak body was unable to dodge. The tentacles came closer and closer, my eyes widened in terror as it approached, then at the last moment all I saw was a bright glow, all I felt were the whipping of wind around us. It was you. Your blade had come to my rescue.

" Your life belongs to me, Kikyou, I won't give it to the likes of Naraku."

Naraku and the jewel were merging, but you chased after him. It was too far for me to see what had happened, but when the sun rose again, breaking the darkness of evil, all was calm and silent. Your friends and I walked to where you were, but all that remained was your red cloak and the Shikon no Tama. It glowed, pink, and vanished, me finally feeling a full soul within me despite the fact that I was still a clay body. You had wished with all your heart that I wouldn't suffer death again, the pure wish caused the jewel to vanish, but you had lost your life in return, sacrificed yourself for me, taking over the pain I had endured.

Seasons come and go, I'm an immortal miko always waiting for you. Your friends have moved on, my reincarnation has returned to her time where she would remain forever. I, alone, could not move from that day, not because I'm dead, but because my love for you is eternal.

How I would wish you could see the seasons come and go, witness it as you stand by my side.

If only we could be together for endless seasons...

Here I sit under the red maples, as red as your cloak, as warm as your heart. You may be gone, but deep in my heart, I know you are still there. Seasons after seasons, you live on inside of me, as the beautiful memories of our long gone past.

" Kikyou, my life belongs to you, I won't give it to the likes of Naraku either."

Am I dreaming? I turned to see your golden eyes once more, this time it is strong on the outside and only displays the warm heart inside of you. Have we, finally found our place?

We have, and together we'll live on, for endless seasons to come.

Motoko Aoyama: Hope you liked it! No flames please, but constructive criticism is welcome. I'm always open to suggestions, as long as you don't start bashing Kikyou or something like that. Thanks for reading! Hope you'll enjoy the rest of your day!


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